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Judge Out With Rib Stress Fracture as Yankees, Cubs and Texas See Baseball Seasons Shift

Aaron Judge’s rib injury and other health and form issues are forcing teams to lean on depth, late rallies and situational hitting as races and postseason paths change.

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North Carolina infielder Cooper Nicholson (1) celebrates after scoring a run against Southern California during the ninth inning of their NCAA baseball tournament super regionals game at Boshamer Stadium.
May 27, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Jun 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) singles during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Overview

  • Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right first rib and is expected to miss an extended stretch, forcing the New York Yankees to adjust their lineup and playing plans.
  • The Yankees used a five-run eighth inning led by Cody Bellinger to beat the Red Sox and on Sunday moved back into a virtual tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East.
  • The Chicago Cubs’ offense has collapsed after a hot start, with Alex Bregman publicly saying he has been "terrible" and the team leading MLB in men left on base, underscoring acute situational-hitting failures.
  • Chicago also suffered a starter injury when Jameson Taillon exited with a left hamstring strain, even as Javier Assad produced a rare long-relief masterclass of roughly 6.1 scoreless innings that could not compensate for the lineup’s dry spell.
  • In college baseball, Texas opened its Super Regional with an 11-3 win over Oregon as sophomore Adrian Rodriguez drove in a career-high five runs after offseason hand surgery and a midseason swing change, showing how short-series performances can swing postseason momentum.